Both synthesis and analysis play important roles in collaborative business processes and intelligence processes. Traditionally, collaborative synthesis and analysis have been performed in a linear sequence, e.g., on an annual basis. For example, once a year, collaborative thinking applies synthesis to create a new strategy, a research and development (R&D) portfolio or scenarios of the future. Continuing with these examples, analysis is then applied throughout the year in order to fill out a strategic “scorecard”, to review R&D project expenses or to monitor scenario signposts. The synthesis/analysis process then starts over the following year.
As the pace of change has accelerated, it has become increasingly clear that the results of such annual and disconnected synthesis/analysis collaborative thinking processes become rapidly outdated. As a result, significant opportunities and threats are missed. Continuous and connected synthesis/analysis iterative cycles of collaborative thinking are therefore needed in order to provide decision makers with the most up to date information. Further, computer-assisted tools are needed to make such iterative processes practical.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for iterative computer-mediated collaborative synthesis and analysis.